Project Report On Design of

1MW Solar Power Plant

PRIYANKA
System sizing, Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance of Solar Photovoltaic Systems

VII Batch
 Acknowledgement & Project Overview

The aim of this project report is to estimate and calculate the approximate design of a 1MW solar
PV power plant. The total no. of solar panel required and the different parameters of the solar
panel estimated. A site in Ghaziabad is taken virtually to estimate the solar intensity of the site
which is most important for calculation.

Also the brief details of the materials/equipments (solar panels, inverters, protective gears,
SCADA etc.) used to set up a 1MW power plant have been highlighted.
 Introduction

India has very suitable conditions to harness solar energy for the development of photovoltaic
solar power systems. The reason being high mean daily radiation and the high number of sunny
days in most parts of our country. For this reason, the government and companies working in the
sector, are developing policies and investing in photovoltaic solar power systems. One of the best
features of rooftop solar PV systems is that they can be permitted and installed faster than power
plants based on other renewable sources. They are clean, quiet, and visually unobtrusive. People
won’t even know that the rooftop plants are working there. Keeping in view the imminent
shortfalls in conventional power generating sources and growing demand of energy, it is crucial
to go for non- conventional sources.

Solar Energy:

It is a radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving
technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten
salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis. It is an important source of renewable energy and
its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on
how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power.

Types of Solar Energy:

(i) Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar power
and solar water heating to harness the energy.

(ii) Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with
favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties and designing spaces that naturally
circulate air.

Advantages of solar energy:

• Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source.
• Once a solar panel is installed, solar energy can be produced free of charge.
• Solar energy will last forever whereas it is estimated that the world’s oil reserves will last
for 30 to 40 years. Solar energy causes no pollution.
• Solar cells make absolutely no noise at all. On the other hand, the giant machines utilized
for pumping oil are extremely noisy and therefore very impractical.
• Very little maintenance is needed to keep solar cells running.
• There are no moving parts in a solar cell which makes it impossible to really damage
them.
• In the long term, there can be a high return on investment due to the amount of free
energy a solar panel can produce, it is estimated that the average household will see 50%
of their energy coming in from solar panels.
Disadvantages:
• Solar panels can be expensive to install resulting in a time-lag of many years for savings
on energy bills to match initial investments.
• Electricity generation depends entirely on a countries exposure to sunlight; this could be
limited by a countries climate.
• Solar power stations do not match the power output of similar sized conventional power
stations; they can also be very expensive to build.
• Solar power is used to charge batteries so that solar powered devices can be used at night.
The batteries can often be large and heavy, taking up space and needing to be replaced
from time to time.

Fig.1 Pictorial depiction of solar cell to array formation

Solar Cell (photovoltaic cell):

It is a device that converts photons from sun (solar energy) into electricity. Fundamentally, the
device needs to fulfill only two functions: photo-generation of charge carriers (electrons and
holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact
that will transmit the electricity.
Till now, solar cells have been used in situations where electrical power from the grid is
unavailable, such as in remote area power systems, Earth orbiting satellites, consumer systems,
e.g. handheld calculators or wrist watches, remote radio-telephones and water pumping
applications.
There are currently four commercial production technologies for PV cells:
(i) Monocrystalline:
Solar cells are made out of silicon ingot, also called single-crystalline silicon (single-crystal-
Si), which is cylindrical in shape. To optimize performance and lower costs of a single
monocrystalline solar cell, four sides are cut out of the cylindrical ingots to make silicon wafers,
which is what gives monocrystalline solar panels their characteristic look. These are quite easily
recognizable by an external even coloring and uniform look, indicating high-purity silicon, as
can be seen in the picture below:

Fig.2 Monocrystalline Panels

(ii) Polycrystalline or Multi-crystalline:

The first solar panels based on polycrystalline silicon, which also is known as polysilicon (p-
Si) and multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si), were introduced to the market in 1981. Unlike mono-
crystalline-based solar panels, polycrystalline solar panels do not require the Czochralski
process. Raw silicon is melted and poured into a square mold, which is cooled and cut into
perfectly square wafers.

Fig.3 Multi-crystalline Panels

(iii) String Ribbon:
String Ribbon solar panels are also made out of polycrystalline silicon. String Ribbon is the
name of a manufacturing technology that produces a form of polycrystalline
silicon. Temperature-resistant wires are pulled through molten silicon, which results in very thin
silicon ribbons. Solar panels made with this technology looks similar to traditional
polycrystalline solar panels.
(iv) Amorphous or Thin Film:
Depositing one or several thin layers of photovoltaic material onto a substrate is the basic gist
of how thin-film solar cells are manufactured. They are also known as thin-film photovoltaic
cells (TFPV). The different types of thin-film solar cells can be categorized by which
photovoltaic material is deposited onto the substrate:
• Amorphous silicon (a-Si)
• Cadmium telluride (CdTe)
• Copper indium gallium selenide (CIS/CIGS)
• Organic photovoltaic cells (OPC)

Fig.4 Thin film Panels

Solar PV Module:
A PV module consists of many PV cells wired in parallel to increase current and in series to
produce a higher voltage. The module is encapsulated with tempered glass (or some other
transparent material) on the front surface, and with a protective and waterproof material on the
back surface. The edges are sealed for weatherproofing, and there is often an aluminum frame
holding everything together in a mountable unit. In the back of the module there is a junction
box, or wire leads, providing electrical connections.
Monocrystalline solar modules have the highest efficiency rates since they are made out of the
highest-grade silicon. The efficiency rates of monocrystalline solar panels are typically 15-20%.
Monocrystalline silicon solar panels are space-efficient. Since these solar panels yield the highest
power outputs, they also require the least amount of space compared to any other types. While
the process used to make multi-crystalline silicon is simpler and costs less. The amount of waste
silicon is less compared to monocrystalline. But they tend to have slightly lower heat tolerance
than monocrystalline solar panels. This technically means that they perform slightly worse than
monocrystalline solar panels in high temperatures.
Solar PV System:
A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system is a power system designed to
supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several
components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar
inverter to change the electric current from DC to AC, as well as mounting, cabling and other
electrical accessories to set up a working system.
PV systems range from small, rooftop-mounted or building-integrated systems with capacities
from a few to several tens of kilowatts, to large utility-scale power stations of hundreds of mega-
watts. Nowadays, most PV systems are grid-connected while off-grid or stand-alone systems
only account for a small portion of the market.
(i) Grid-Connected System:
A grid connected system is connected to a larger independent grid (typically the public
electricity grid) and feeds energy directly into the grid. This energy may be shared by a
residential or commercial building before or after the revenue measurement point. Grid
connected systems vary in size from residential (2–10 kWp) to solar power stations (up to 10s of
MWp). This is a form of decentralized electricity generation. The feeding of electricity into the
grid requires the transformation of DC into AC by a special, synchronizing grid-tie inverter.

Fig.5 Grid-Connected System

(ii) Stand-alone or Off-Grid System:
A stand-alone or off-grid system is not connected to the electrical grid. Standalone systems
vary widely in size and application from wristwatches or calculators to remote buildings
or spacecraft. If the load is to be supplied independently of solar insolation, the generated power
is stored and buffered with a battery. In non-portable applications where weight is not an issue,
such as in buildings, lead acid batteries are most commonly used for their low cost and tolerance.
A charge controller may be incorporated in the system to avoid battery damage by excessive
charging or discharging. It may also help to optimize production from the solar array using a
maximum power point tracking technique (MPPT).

Fig.6 Stand-alone System

(iii) Hybrid System:

Solar hybrid power systems are hybrid power systems that combine solar power from
a photovoltaic system with another power generating energy source. A common type is
a photovoltaic diesel hybrid system, combining photovoltaics (PV) and diesel generators, or
diesel gensets, as PV has hardly any marginal cost and is treated with priority on the grid. The
diesel gensets are used to constantly fill in the gap between the present load and the actual
generated power by the PV system.

Fig.7 Hybrid System

Components of Solar PV System:

A photovoltaic system for residential, commercial, or industrial energy supply consists of the
solar array and a number of components often summarized as the balance of system (BOS). The
term originates from the fact that some BOS-components are balancing the power-generating
subsystem of the solar array with the power-using side, the load. BOS-components include
power-conditioning equipment and structures for mounting, typically one or more DC
to AC power converters, also known as inverters, an energy storage device, a racking system that
supports the solar array, electrical wiring and interconnections, and mounting for other
components.

(i) Solar Panel Mounting Systems:

These include hardware to permanently affix the array to, either a roof, a pole, or the ground.
These systems are typically made of aluminum and are selected based on the specific model and
number of modules in the array as well as the desired physical configuration. Solar Panels work
best at cooler temperatures, and proper mounting allows for cooling airflow around the modules.
For all locations, wind loading is an installation factor, and it is extremely important to design
and pour the cement foundation properly for any pole mount.

(ii) Charge Controller:

Every solar electric system with batteries should have a solar charge controller. A charge
controller regulates the amount of current the PV modules feed into a battery bank. Their main
function is to prevent overcharging of the batteries, but charge controllers also block battery
bank current from leaking back into the photovoltaic array at night or on cloudy days, draining
the battery bank.

The two main types are PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) and MPPT (Tracking). PWM
technology is older and more commonly used on smaller solar arrays. The controller must also
have enough capacity (in rated Amps) to handle the total current of the solar array safely. MPPT
charge controllers can track the maximum power point of a solar array and deliver 10-25% more
power than a PWM controller could do for the same array. They do this by converting excess
voltage into usable current.

(iii) Batteries:

Batteries chemically store electrical energy in renewable energy systems. They come in
several voltages, but the most common varieties are 6 Volt and 12 Volt. The three types of
batteries that are most commonly used are as follows:

• Lead Acid Batteries: Lead acid batteries are the most common type of energy storage in
PV systems due to their versatility and low cost. They are based on the lead/sulphuric
acid chemical reaction. Lead acid batteries are the most common type of energy storage
in PV systems due to their versatility and low cost. They have evolved into two groups:
 6V or 12V batteries in tough plastic cases with capacities up to say 200Ah and the larger
capacity 2V battery bank Cells, ranging from about 100 Ah to several thousand Ah
capacities.

• Nickel Cadmium Batteries: These are manufactured in many sizes. Sealed batteries are
of smaller capacities. The larger ‘wet’ NiCad is ideal for renewable energy storage. The
main disadvantages of nickel-cadmium batteries are their high cost and limited
availability compared to lead-acid designs. A typical nickel-cadmium cell consists of
positive electrodes made from nickel-hydroxide [NiO(OH)] and negative electrodes made
from cadmium (Cd) and immersed in an alkaline potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte
solution. When a nickel-cadmium cell is discharged, the nickel hydroxide changes form
[Ni(OH)2] and the cadmium converts to cadmium hydroxide [Cd(OH)2].

(iv) Solar Inverters:

An inverter takes (DC) from batteries and turns it into (AC) which is used to run most
common electrical loads. There are two main classes of inverters, or grid-capable and standalone
units. Off-grid inverters require batteries for storage. Straight grid-tied inverters don’t use
batteries and grid-capable inverters can work either with or without batteries depending on
system design. There is a wide range of available inverter features suited to differing system
needs and situations. Some inverters have integrated AC chargers so that they can use AC power
from the grid to charge the batteries during periods of low sun.

(v) DC and AC Disconnects:

The DC and AC disconnects of a PV system are manual switches that are capable of cutting
off power to and from the inverter. Some inverters have disconnects with switches integrated
into their structure. Other systems use an integrated power panel to support the inverter(s) and
their associated disconnects in an organized arrangement. Disconnection prevents the current
being produced from going beyond the disconnect point to a downed utility grid or damaged
component.

(vi) Miscellaneous Components:

This category includes everything that is required to connect all the parts together safely and
securely. As with most specialized technologies, there are many parts and tools involved in the
proper installation of a safe and effective PV system, e.g. PV junction boxes that are used to
safely terminate multiple strings of PV panels on the DC side i.e. before connection to the
inverter(s), PV combiner boxes provide the useful functions of being able to safely isolate and
fuse individual PV strings and to aggregate many smaller PV strings into fewer cables before
connecting into the inverter(s) and Solar PV cables & connectors that are used to connect the
various components and are sized and selected to perform at their best based on; the current they
will carry, the operating temperatures where they will be used and the environments where they
will be installed (outside, in hot areas, underground etc.).

In this project work, designing of solar PV system is done. Power generation using solar PV
system is very reliable and clean that can suit a wide range of applications such as residence,
industry, agriculture, livestock, etc.
PV systems are designed and sized to meet a given load requirement. PV system sizing exercise
involves the determination of the size and capacity of various components, like PV panels,
batteries, etc. PV system design also involves a decision on which configuration is to be adopted
to meet the load requirement. Once the system configuration is decide then the size or capacity
of the various components are calculated. A low quality component (inverter, for instance) may
be cheaper initially but probably will be less efficient and may not last longer. On the other hand,
a relatively expensive but higher quality component is more likely to perform better (saving
energy and thus cost) and may be able to recover its cost in the long run.
 AIM

Aim of this paper is to give an overview and designing of 1MW solar PV power plant.

Project outline:

• Using solar PV modules, solar power generates in DC which is converted into AC power
and then using a power transformer, the generated and modified AC power will be fed to
the grid.

• No battery storage introduced here because the plant will only function in the daylight
and here the generated power will be given to the grid.
 Site Selection Criteria

A criterion is a measurable facet of a judgment, which makes it possible to illustrate and

enumerate alternatives in a decision. There are few requirements, to be taken care of, for the
selection of appropriate site for solar PV system installation. These include, amount of incident
solar radiation, availability of vacant land for its present as well as for its future development,
accessibility to site from highways as it affects the transportation cost and thus the initial cost,
distance from transmission lines to minimize the losses. Solar PV panels works efficiently within
a range of temperature which is 2500C to 4500C, the degradation of cells happens due to high
wind velocity, extreme temperatures, shadow on modules and dusting on arrays, thus variation of
local climate is significant criteria for this work.

Geotechnical issues like consideration of groundwater resistivity, load bearing properties, soil
pH levels and seismic risk are important criteria. Geotechnical political issues such as Site near
to Sensitive military zones and historical places should be avoided. By considering Topography
of site, flat or slightly south facing slopes are preferable for projects in the northern hemisphere.
Efficiency of plant could be reduced significantly if modules are soiled.

It is, therefore, important to consider local weather, environmental, human and wildlife factors.
The criteria should include dust particles from traffic, building activity, agricultural activity or
dust storms and module soiling from bird excreta. The criteria are as given in table 1.

Table1. Criterion considered for site selection

S.No. Criteria
1 Availability of solar radiation
2 Availability of vacant land
3 Accessibility from national highways
4 Distance from existing transmission line
5 Variation in local climate
6 Use of nearby land
7 Topography of site
8 Geotechnical issues
9 Geotechnical political issues
10 Module soiling
 Site Details

The site i.e. Central Electronics limited at Ghaziabad, has an elevation of 28o, is a shadow free
area and meeting all site selection criteria. The structures for the power plant comprises of Solar
Arrays, central inverters, control room, substation and other ancillary structures. The general
information regarding the climatic conditions of Ghaziabad district and description of the plant
are given in Tables 2 and 3.

Table2. General climatic conditions of Ghaziabad district

Height above sea level 214m

Ambient air temperature Maximum: 31.30C
Minimum: 18.70C
Relative Humidity 28%
Rainfall 797.5 mm
Period: 4 months

Table3. General description of power plant

Place of Installation Central Electronics Ltd., 4, Industrial area,

Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Latitude & Longitude of the place 28.670N & 77.350E
Allotted Land Area 5 acres
Nominal Capacity of PV Plant 1MW
Modules 3360
SCADA for diagnosing and monitoring Yes
Inverters 2 (500 KW)
 Technical Details

In the designing of solar power plant, before going for calculation of number of solar panels
required, type of inverter and inverter working voltage is to be considered first. Based on their
application two types of inverters are used: String inverter and Central inverter. Both have their
pros and cons.

Inverter Type Pros Cons

Central Inverter • Lower DC watt unit cost. • Higher installation cost
(in terms of system cost) • Fewer component connections. (e.g. inverter pad work).
• Higher DC wiring and
combiner costs.
• Larger inverter pad
footprint.
(in terms of total energy • Optimal for large system where • Less optimal for systems
production) production is consistent across with different array
arrays. angles and/or orientations
• Proven field reliability. since they default to
highest producing strings
within a range and block
the production of lower
producing string outside
of that range.
String Inverter • Lower balance of systems costs. • Higher DC watt unit cost.
(in terms of system cost) • Lower ongoing maintenance • More inverter
costs (e.g. no fans or air filters). connections.
• Simpler design and modularity; • Requires more distributed
Ideal for limited inverter pad space to mount inverters.
spaces.
(in terms of total energy • Modularity is better for systems • Newer and less field
production) with different array angles tested product.
and/or orientations.
• Fewer arrays are impacted with
one inverter failure.

Based on these pros/cons and our system requirements, it is beneficial to use central inverter as it
is optimal to use for large system in comparison with string inverter.
This 1 MW plant is divided into two independent segments of 500 KW each. Both segments are
equipped with two inverters of 500 KW and grouped together to form one LT panel. Using
300Wp modules, two 80 PV strings are connected in parallel to both of the inverters and each
string consists of 21 modules in series.

Fig.8 Block Diagram of 1 MW Solar Power Plant

Solar PV arrangement and overall system rating:

Table4. Technical data

Total capacity of plant 1MW

Total no. of modules 3360
No. of modules in 1 string 21
No. of strings 160
No. of strings per inverter (500KW) 80

Table5. Module specifications

Watt (Wp) 300 W

DC voltage (Vmp) 35.0 V
DC current (Imp) 8.57 A
Open circuit Voltage (Voc) 45.0 V
Short circuit Current (Isc) 9.02 A
Module dimensions 1965×990×42
Number, type and arrangement of cell 72, Multi-crystalline, 6×12
Weight (kg) 25
Glass, type and thickness 3.2mm Thick, Low iron, Toughened
Electrical Calculations:

O/p voltage of each string 35×21 = 735 VDC

O/p current of each string 8.57 ADC
O/p power of each string 6.3 KW
O/p power of 160 strings 1008 KW

Inverter Type: ABB Central Inverter

Inverter Details & Specifications:

Input (DC)

Max. input power 600 KW

DC voltage range, mpp (UDC) 450 to 825 V
Max. DC voltage (Umax (DC)) 1100 V
Max. DC current (Imax (DC)) 1145 A
Voltage ripple < 3%
No. of protected DC inputs (parallel) 4 to 16 (+/-)

Output (DC)

Nominal AC output power (PN (AC)) 500 KW

Nominal AC current (IN (AC)) 965
Nominal output voltage (UN (AC)) 300 V
Output frequency 50/60 Hz
Harmonic distortion current < 3%

Transformer:

The power generated from 1MW PV plant at 300V each from two inverters, is stepped-up to
11KV with the help of one step-up transformer and connected to existing 11KV lines. The full
load rating of the transformer is 1.25MVA.

Cable Selection:

The two common conductor materials used in residential and commercial solar installations are
copper and aluminum. Copper has a greater conductivity than aluminum, thus it carries more
current than aluminum at the same size. Aluminum may be weakened during installation
especially during bending; however it is less expensive than copper wires.

So, it is beneficial to consider copper cable for its greater conductivity and more current carrying
capacity.
 Protections

As the installations and demand for PV systems increases so does the need for effective electrical
protection. The main protections and protective gears are named here:

DC side protection

1. Fuses
(i) For string protection
(ii) Fuses for array/inverter input protection

2. Fuse holders
(i) For string protection
(ii) Panel mount fuse holder
(iii) In-line fuse holders
(iv) Array/inverter input protection
(v) Dead front fuse covers

3. Surge protection devices

4. DC switch
(i) Load break disconnect switches
(ii) High power switches

5. Ground-fault protection

AC side protection

(i) Circuit breaker

(ii) Bar contractor

(iii) Insulation monitoring device